deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv 

: tending or having power to cause someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid : tending or having power to deceive

a deceptive appearance

a pitcher with a deceptive windup

deceptively adverb

deceptiveness noun

Synonyms of deceptive

• misleading
• false

Examples of deceptive in a Sentence

in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car

a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices

Recent Examples on the Web

Zimperium says attackers primarily spread it through SMS phishing, malicious advertising and deceptive third-party download sites. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

The full extent of the probe was not clear, but the FTC has wide authority to investigate unfair and deceptive practices that hurt American consumers. — Ian Duncan, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

About 7 in 10 ads carried no AI disclosure, although the count includes uses beyond deceptive impersonations and does not establish how many ads violated a law or misled voters. — Stefani Langehennig, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

The city of Baltimore has accused the company of violating consumer protection laws and engaging in deceptive trade practices by marketing its Grok image generation and editing tool as generally safe. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see deception

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deceptive

• looks can be deceiving/deceptive

Rhymes for deceptive

• perceptive
• receptive
• contraceptive
• nociceptive
• proprioceptive

Kids Definition

deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv 

: tending or having power to deceive : misleading

a deceptive appearance

deceptively adverb

deceptiveness noun

Legal Definition

deceptive

adjective

de·​cep·​tive di-ˈsep-tiv 

: tending or having capacity to deceive

deceptive trade practices

compare fraudulent, misleading